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15 Authors like Tess Gunty

Tess Gunty is an American novelist known for literary fiction. Her debut novel, The Rabbit Hutch, won the National Book Award for Fiction, praised for its insightful storytelling and vivid characters.

If you enjoy reading books by Tess Gunty then you might also like the following authors:

  1. Ottessa Moshfegh

    Ottessa Moshfegh writes darkly humorous stories that explore lonely, isolated characters facing strange moments in life. Her novels often feature unusual plots alongside biting observations about society and human existence.

    Readers might enjoy her novel My Year of Rest and Relaxation, which follows a troubled young woman attempting to reset her life through a year of drug-induced sleep.

  2. Raven Leilani

    Raven Leilani's writing is sharp, witty, and emotionally honest. She often portrays modern life, race, and relationships with raw insight, pulling readers into the struggles of young adulthood.

    Her debut novel Luster explores identity, sexuality, and loneliness as it follows a young woman's turbulent life, complicated romantic relationships, and search for connection.

  3. Jonathan Franzen

    Jonathan Franzen creates complex family dramas filled with sharp social commentary and deep emotional insight. His stories explore personal and moral struggles within the context of contemporary America.

    Readers who enjoy intricate portrayals of family dynamics and societal tensions might appreciate his novel The Corrections, which vividly depicts the challenges faced by a Midwestern family as their carefully crafted illusions unravel.

  4. David Foster Wallace

    David Foster Wallace wrote creative stories characterized by brilliant language, sharp humor, and deep philosophical questions. He experimented boldly with forms and styles, capturing modern life's absurdity and complexity.

    His famous work, Infinite Jest, is a sprawling, ambitious novel exploring addiction, entertainment, and anxiety through a richly detailed story and unique narrative techniques.

  5. George Saunders

    George Saunders is known for blending humor and compassion in stories that thoughtfully examine human nature, morality, and society's pressures. His writing feels empathetic as he reveals the emotional lives of ordinary people facing extraordinary circumstances.

    Fans of Gunty's heartfelt yet quirky perspectives may appreciate Saunders' novel Lincoln in the Bardo, a moving exploration of grief, love, and redemption told through an unconventional, captivating narrative.

  6. Zadie Smith

    Zadie Smith writes witty and thoughtful novels about identity, culture, and relationships, exploring life's complexity with humor and depth.

    Her novel White Teeth follows two families in multicultural London, highlighting immigration, generational differences, and the search for belonging.

  7. Dana Spiotta

    Dana Spiotta's novels offer insightful looks at contemporary life, capturing how society, culture, and technology affect individuals and relationships.

    Her book Wayward portrays a woman reflecting on her life's choices and meaning, offering a perceptive exploration of middle-aged dissatisfaction, feminism, and identity.

  8. Rachel Kushner

    Rachel Kushner blends vibrant storytelling with sharp social observations, examining politics, injustice, and different subcultures.

    In The Flamethrowers, she tells the story of a young artist in 1970s New York and Italy, weaving together themes of art, radical politics, and self-discovery.

  9. Ben Lerner

    Ben Lerner creates smart and introspective fiction that reflects on art, language, and individual experiences.

    His novel The Topeka School explores adolescence and masculinity in late-1990s America, digging into family relationships, politics, and the struggle to communicate effectively with others.

  10. Sheila Heti

    Sheila Heti writes novels that blur fiction and memoir, exploring creativity, identity, and everyday life questions through a candid and often playful style.

    Her book How Should a Person Be? focuses on friendship, art, and self-discovery as the narrator searches for meaning in work and relationships.

  11. Brandon Taylor

    Brandon Taylor writes stories that closely examine complex relationships and emotional struggles. His prose is sharp, thoughtful, and captures the nuances of modern friendships and identity.

    In Real Life, Taylor tells the story of Wallace, a young Black graduate student navigating life and desires in a predominantly white university setting, examining race, sexuality, and isolation.

  12. Ocean Vuong

    Ocean Vuong crafts poetic, vivid narratives filled with raw emotion and intimate reflection. His writing is lyrical and personal, often exploring immigrant identity, family bonds, and trauma.

    In On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous, Vuong presents a tender, moving letter from a son to his uneducated mother, exploring their complicated bond and the generation-spanning wounds and joys they carry.

  13. Elif Batuman

    Elif Batuman blends humor, intellectual wit, and insightful character studies in her writing. Her style observes human behavior and academic culture with sensitivity and genuine curiosity. The Idiot follows Selin, a young Turkish-American navigating her freshman year at Harvard.

    Through sharp dialogue and amusing observations, Batuman explores language, identity, and the awkwardness of young adulthood.

  14. Jia Tolentino

    Jia Tolentino's insightful essays offer clear-eyed perspectives on modern culture, internet life, feminism, and identity. Thoughtful yet accessible, she captures contemporary experiences with intelligence and sincere humor.

    Her essay collection, Trick Mirror, analyzes diverse topics like social media, self-awareness, and the pressures women face in modern society.

  15. Sally Rooney

    Sally Rooney portrays relationships and communication with rare honesty and sensitivity. Her spare, direct style gives readers deeply felt perspectives on love, friendship, class, and anxiety in modern Ireland.

    Her novel Normal People tells of the complex relationship between Marianne and Connell as they move from teenagers to young adults, showing how intimacy and misunderstanding shape our lives.